This invention relates to a rain shielding canopy. More particularly, the invention relates to a rain shielding canopy for use with an automobile which employs a housing mounted to the roof and windshield pillar of the automobile, a waterproof cover extendably and retractably mounted within the housing designed for shielding a person from rainwater during entering and exiting of the automobile.
When a heavy rain storm is encountered, it is difficult to coordinate an umbrella and the car door so as to avoid getting wet while entering or leaving the automobile. Especially when it is necessary for a driver or a passenger to place groceries or a baby into the vehicle, such an individual is unprotected against rainwater from the time he closes his umbrella until he is finished loading his car and finally gets into his car. An exposure to the rainwater can not only bring discomfort and even sickness but can also cause damage to the interior of the car, especially to water sensitive electronic components in the door panel for operating the windows and door locks. Thus, it is desirable to have a device that can deflect rainwater while an individual gets into or out of a vehicle so as to allow the individual to open the vehicle's door and open or close an umbrella without getting drenched by rainwater.
Various references uncovered in the prior art provide devices that mount on or within the car for protecting car users from rainwater. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,562,849 to Sirota discloses an umbrella unit for mounting on a car in the region of its doors to protect car users from rain. The umbrella unit includes first drive with transmission for opening and closing the umbrella, and second drive and transmission for turning the umbrella out of and into its housing. Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 4,201,412 to Williams discloses a camping car including a rain protection canopy stored within a space inside the vehicle roof which automatically slides outward when the vehicle door is opened. Williams may provide some utility for protecting car users from rainwater, but cannot be incorporated into an existing automobile because the canopy is constructed of a rigid panel that must be incorporated into the vehicle during the manufacturing process.
Despite all these prior art devices, there is still a further need to provide an improved rain shielding canopy for use with an automobile. Such a rain shielding canopy should be capable of deflecting rainwater while an individual gets into or out of a motor vehicle so as to allow the individual to open the vehicle's door and open or close an umbrella without getting drenched with rainwater. Moreover, such a rain shielding canopy can be readily incorporated into an existing automobile, and yet is capable of allowing a driver or a passenger to place their baby car seat or groceries in their car without getting wet by providing a waterproof cover that extends from the housing assembly to protect the area between the door and the vehicle from rainwater.
While these units mentioned above may be suitable for the particular purpose employed, or for general use, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as disclosed hereafter.